The Proposal
by lilkawa
Summary: Arthur asks Gwen to marry him.


_Merlin _doesn't belong to me.

This is for GuardianIzz, you put the idea in my head and it stuck. I really hope you like it.

The Proposal

Arthur threw his pen down in disgust and frowned at the books that were open before him. This was totally useless. Why had listened to Merlin at all?

_Earlier_

"Arthur, just say what you feel." Merlin told his friend.

"I can't" Arthur replied.

"Why not?"

"What I feel…it's hard…I can't just put it into words… it's…" he stopped talking.

Merlin had looked at his friend and was thankful that he didn't feel that way about anyone. It seemed like pure torture to him.

Arthur had looked up suddenly and smiled at Merlin. "You always say you get everything you know from books, don't you?" he asked him.

"Yes?" Merlin replied uncertainly, wondering where this was going.

"So, get me those books, maybe I'll get some inspiration."

_Now_

Arthur looked at yet another book and threw it across the room in disgust. He hadn't found a single useful thing in any of them. He even wondered how Merlin got anything from them at all. Books were certainly overrated, he thought to himself.

'I mean I love her, I know I do, she means everything to me. Why can't I just ask her to marry me?' he thought to himself. 'I mean just open my mouth and say, Guinevere will you be mine?'

He knew the answer to that question; he was scared of her reply. He loved her; he had said it to her numerous times –he loved her with all his heart - and he knew that she loved him but maybe the responsibility that would come with being married to him would make her reconsider wanting to be his wife, maybe the thought of…

Stop, Arthur told himself. Stop thinking such thoughts. He decided to take a walk to clear his head.

000

Guinevere was walking along the castle wall when she saw Arthur heading towards the woods. She thought of going to join him but decided against it, the fact that he hadn't sought out like he always did when he needed to talk, meant that he really wanted some time on his own.

She made her way inside the castle and came across Merlin. He seemed to be in a hurry.

"Merlin," she called to him.

"Gwen, you haven't seen Arthur by any chance have you?"

"Yes," she replied, "I just saw him head to the woods. Is something the matter?"

"No," Merlin replied, and walked off with her, he didn't want her to suspect anything.

000

Arthur looked at the trees, the stream and the general landscape. It was all beautiful but none of it was giving him any ideas about how to ask the woman he was absolutely crazy about to marry him. He thought of doing the whole big 'thing', flowers, a present of some sort, some lines and maybe even music but all that seemed too… not good enough, and he wanted the absolute best for Gwen.

"So have you come up with the perfect plan, words, etcetera, etcetera?" Merlin asked Arthur, laughing, when Arthur entered the castle, later. He could tell from Arthur's mood that he hadn't. "What do you need me to do?"

"Nothing," Arthur replied, glaring at Merlin. 'He would propose when he wasn't under so much pressure, it wasn't as if he had to do it today,' Arthur consoled himself.

000

Gwen and Arthur walked to Gwen's house after sharing supper together. This was their nightly practice, Arthur, Gwen and Merlin would have supper together and Arthur would see her home, kiss her goodnight and go back to his room.

Pretty soon they were at Gwen's house, he opened the door, checked the house to ensure that there were no intruders. Arthur had wanted to post a guard at Gwen's house but she had refused. She'd insisted that she didn't need protection; she was fine on her own.

They stood in the middle of the room, both of them reminded of the first time they had kissed. Arthur leaned in as if to kiss Gwen but instead of kissing her, whispered, "Marry me, Guinevere. Marry me."

Gwen's eyes had been closed in anticipation of the kiss that she knew was going to happen but now she opened them slowly and looked directly into Arthur's eyes. He was looking at her earnestly, waiting for an answer. Gwen's smile widened and she looked at him and said clearly, "Yes, yes Arthur, I'll marry you."

Arthur lifted her off her feet and twirled her round and round, kissing her.

000

As Arthur walked back to his room, later, he wondered why he had been bothering with all the books, and the stress and anxiety he'd gone through. Merlin had been right all along; just saying what he felt had been the best thing by far.

0000

**Thanks for reading and reviewing.**


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